For Shaira Delina, the classroom at East Lee Middle School has become a place of exchange in more ways than one.
Now in her eighth year as an educator, but only her second teaching in the United States, Delina came to Lee County Schools from the Philippines through a cultural exchange program. While she spends her days teaching Language Arts, she is also sharing pieces of her own culture with students while learning more about theirs.
That experience has challenged her, changed her perspective and helped her grow as a teacher.
“I feel like I really am a teacher here,” Delina said. “Middle schoolers can be a little challenging, however that challenge is really pushing me to grow as a teacher and find ways I can better deliver my lesson and help them understand what we’re learning.”
Before coming to East Lee, Delina taught students primarily in seventh and eighth grades in the Philippines. While the age of her students may be familiar, she quickly discovered that the culture of the classroom could be very different.
“The most challenging things here really are the cultural differences,” she said. “I’m here on cultural exchange and I am sharing my culture with my students and at the same time I am learning about their culture.”
One of the differences she noticed most was how willing students were to openly express their thoughts and emotions.
Delina said that initially required an adjustment in how she interpreted those interactions, but over time she came to see that openness as an important tool for building relationships and improving instruction.
“I like that the kids vocalize how they are thinking or feeling, because that helps me know how to help them understand or help them grow,” she explained. “So, that’s an adjustment, but I am learning and appreciating that difference.”
Delina credits much of her successful transition to the support she has received from colleagues and administrators throughout Lee County Schools.
From the moment she arrived in the United States, she said staff members have helped her navigate not only a new school system, but the practical challenges of adjusting to life in a new country.
“There really just is the support that you need to succeed,” Delina said. “They don’t just throw you into the fire, they have supported me all along the way.”
That support has allowed her to concentrate more fully on instruction. Delina said one of the biggest differences from her previous teaching experience is the opportunity to focus primarily on her classroom rather than balancing teaching with additional administrative responsibilities.
Technology has also changed the way she approaches instruction. With students having access to individual laptops and classrooms equipped with technology, Delina has been able to explore new strategies for delivering content and helping students engage with each lesson.
“Here, I can focus on being a teacher and I can expand my knowledge and think through new strategies and how to better deliver content,” she said.
But while academic growth is important, Delina hopes the lessons students remember most from their time together reach well beyond language arts.
As someone experiencing a new culture herself, she hopes her classroom can help students understand the importance of respecting people whose backgrounds and experiences may be different from their own.
“I hope that since we’re spending so much time together that they learn from me to continue to be respectful to people of different backgrounds and cultures,” Delina said. “I hope that these things that they learn in the classroom can extend to the outside world - especially how to respect and show compassion to people. I hope they learn to be kind and how to love people.”
For Delina, that may be the most meaningful part of the exchange. She came to East Lee to share her culture and teach her students, but she has found that learning goes both ways.
Each day brings another opportunity for teachers and students alike to better understand one another, broaden their perspectives and grow together.